The Night Before

How long into the night did the betrayal of Jesus go? Was everything over by now? Are the disciples still reclining in the upper room uneasy about all the Jesus has been saying and his action of washing their feet. Do they get it yet? Maybe they are asleep in the garden right now?

If all has been said and done, how is Peter feeling right now? Has he denied Jesus yet, or is he simply stewing in his over the top personality, frustrated that Jesus said he would deny him three times. “It isn’t going to happen! I have Jesus’ back!”

And then there is the guard who got whacked in the ear with the sword. How does he handle the night? Does he know of the Jesus before being sent into the dark to get him? How angry is he when he takes a sword to the head? Is he happy that Peter has bad aim? Even more, what does he do when Jesus heals his ear? I know what my reaction would be: “I’M OUT!!! DID YOU SEE WHAT HE JUST DID? I’M NOT TYING HIS HANDS UP!”

Or, if we want to go really dark, what are the teachers of the law and the priests feeling right know? Do they have the eager stomach butterflies that you get when you are on the edge of something big? Are they confident in their actions? Are they prideful? I think they are probably a bit skeptical. They’ve been in the place before when they almost had Jesus. He’s a slippery one, always getting away. Are they simply waiting until he’s finally dead to relax?

As I have mulled over the Scriptures and stories for today, one thing in all of these stories grips me. Every one of the people in the story has no idea how upside down life will be in a few days. They have expectations of what could happen and of what they want to happen, but they have no idea…

Here’s the question that has haunted me the most today. I know the end of the story. I know what happens. How am I allowing that to change me? Do I have any expectations?

Stop and chew on those two questions for awhile. Shut the music off and close the tab for Facebook and Twitter. Be still for a few moments and reflect on the Cross of Christ and ask those two questions: How am I allowing that to change me? Do I have any expectations?

How are you allowing the Light to penetrate your life? How are you, in turn, being the Light to others?